Aspen-Alcalá Seminar “Leadership and Values”

Aspen Institute España and the University of Alcalá, with the support of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha and the Sigüenza City Council, held the Aspen-Alcalá Seminar for teachers on “Leadership and Values,” from September 6th to 7th at the Parador de Sigüenza (Guadalajara).

The “Leadership and Values” seminar is a space to discuss the values that inspire our decisions in both personal and professional spheres, as well as the contributions we make to the common good. Through Socratic dialogue, the seminar builds on the prior reading of classical and contemporary texts from philosophy, politics, and literature to debate the fundamental values of an open society and the inherent tensions in defining what constitutes such a society. The seminar brings together a small group of participants from various university disciplines, providing a balanced and pluralistic forum for reflection and debate on the current state and future of our societies, analyzed through timeless human values. To ensure the exchange of ideas and mutual growth, the seminar follows the Chatham House Rule. Additionally, it will be moderated by Carmen Pérez-Llorca, a lawyer, Vice Dean at IE Law School, and Aspen España Fellow, who will guide the conversation and help clarify how the readings invite us to think about our role in society.

Carmen Pérez-Llorca Zamora

She is a lawyer. She has practiced in Spain (Allen & Overy) and in the United States (Mayer Brown and Dewey Ballantine), specializing in banking and financial law. In addition to her career as a lawyer, she has served as a member of the Madrid Assembly and as Deputy Minister of Education in the Community of Madrid. In recent years, she has dedicated herself to teaching in the United States, where she was the Associate Dean for International Programs at the University of Miami School of Law. She is currently the Associate Dean at IE Law School.

Aspen Institute España

Aspen Institute España was established in 2010 to promote leadership inspired by civic values and to address critical issues for the future of society. Every year it organizes more than seventy debates, seminars and conferences on leadership and values, the digital future, sustainability, democracy, geopolitics, and the economy. The President of Aspen Spain is Javier Solana and its Secretary General José M. de Areilza. The project is supported by fifteen Spanish companies and a large network of alumni. It is part of the international network of Aspen Institutes, present in more than twelve countries, and collaborates specially with The Aspen Institute in the United States. This philanthropic institution was founded in 1950, among others by José Ortega y Gasset, to train leaders in all sectors of society with a humanistic vision and a connection to civic and democratic values. Today it is recognised as one of the most influential think tanks in the world, with more than fifty ongoing programmes in the fields of public policy and leadership.

Universidad de Alcalá

The University of Alcalá was founded by the Regent of Spain, Cardinal Cisneros, in 1499 as a groundbreaking educational project. Today, it is a modern, medium-sized institution recognized in Europe and the Americas as a model to follow. In addition to its traditional humanities and social sciences programs, the University of Alcalá has incorporated the most innovative degrees in all scientific fields, such as Health Sciences and various engineering disciplines, spread across its different campuses. Together with the Science and Technology Park, these programs serve as a decisive factor for international projection and as a driving force for activity in our region.